The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-12-01
UNCLE SANS LETTERS.
TcoNTTNuEp FROM FIRST PAGE.]

the lack of a suitable book of regulations
and the pre-existing confusion OF regulations
and rulings generally-but without any
other direction from the department, every
where began to enforce the law ana 10 ex
clude matter in envelopes or wrappers which
carried forbidden printing. 1t appears that
envelopes have been frequently printed by
those who habitually send circulars or mer-
chandise samples, with advertisements rang
ing from simple additions to the sender
name descriptive of his business pursuits, to
very elaborate representations, sometimes
pictorially illustrated; and that wrappers OF
merchandise samples occasionally pore
printed communications as explicit In dlrec-
tion as could be desirable in written per-
sonal communication to accompany them,
and such as would dispense with necessity
l fol any other first-class correspondence III
that connection.
The suspension of the use of these pre-
pared envelopes and wrappers rendered
them temporarily valueless for their objects,
and caused much annoyance and irritation
with those who had been In the practlce OF
using them Appeals from p0stmasters to
the Department have presented almost ev-
cry aspect of these cases. Some are exceed
ingly trivial, in so far as real Importance at
taches to the added matter, but many are OBJ
viously abuses, and between the two ex-
tremes the range of transgression extends
over innumerable different instances. The
majority of wrappers appear very harmless,
can be likely to result from their use With
few exceptions, all would have been admit
ted If any rightful power to dispense with
the statute were vested in the Department.
The want of 1t has been somewhat painful,
because it would have relieved substantially
all complaint, could the use of only such en-
velopeS and wrappers as had been already
prepared have been authorized. the public
generally manifesting no lunwilllngness to
comply with the requirements OF the law
No such authority could be discovered, nor
any line be drawn other than that drawn by
the explicit statute, and the Department has
been compelled to inaction, except to relieve
from penalties in some proper eases.
The law appears to go upon the theory that
advertisements ought not to be permitted
upon third or fourth class parcels am not
able to discern any sound objection to this
privilege, If the advertisement be so limited
as to leave sufficient space for the address,
for post-marking and rating, and for refor
warding or return addresses. Such printing
adds nothing of burden to the mails, and
cannot be thought to limit their employment
otherwise. More probably it increases it.
The statutory classification of mail matter
is not satisfactory, and can. be but little, if
at ALL improved. Probably no relaxation of
the guards over second-class matter is desir-
able. But removal of the prohibition
against reasonable advertising and printing
OH the wrapper of third aud fourth-class
matter, so that they do not extend to CON-
muncations of the nature of correspondence,
would apper to be due to the business inter-
ests and convenience Of the public, and is
earnestly recommended